iwlwifi @ AX210 ; unable to connect to hidden network ; no carrier

_martin

_martin

There's absolute NOGO on previous versions of FreeBSD. On a brand new 14.0-RELEASE (releng/14.0-n265380-f9716eee8ab4) I'm attempting to connect to my WiFi network with my Archer TX3000:

Code: 
iwlwifi0@pci0:2:0:0:    class=0x028000 rev=0x1a hdr=0x00 vendor=0x8086 device=0x2725 subvendor=0x8086 subdevice=0x0020
    vendor     = 'Intel Corporation'
    device     = 'Wi-Fi 6 AX210/AX211/AX411 160MHz'
    class      = network

Network is using WPA2-PSK, SSID is hidden (I know it's a pseudo security measure but it does serve a purpose at a location where I am).
My /etc/wpa_supplicant.conf:
Code: 
ctrl_interface=/var/run/wpa_supplicant
eapol_version=1
ap_scan=1
fast_reauth=1
network={
    scan_ssid=1
    ssid="my hidden ssid"
    key_mgmt=WPA-PSK
    proto=RSN
    #psk="some shared secret stuff"
    psk=<generated by wpa_passphrase>
    group=CCMP
    pairwise=CCMP
    auth_alg=OPEN
}
Whatever I do I can't connect. When I use wpa_cli(8) scan_results command sometimes does show the network, sometimes it doesn't.

NOTE: I can connect if I broadcast ssid.

I tried the very same machine on Linux, there it works just fine.

I toggled the verbose mode logging in rc.conf:
Code: 
wlans_iwlwifi0="wlan0"
ifconfig_wlan0="WPA SYNCDHCP"
wlandebug_wlan0="+state +node +auth +assoc +dot1xsm +wpa +scan"

I have not used WiFi on PC/server pretty much over the decades. Any ideas are welcome.
 
Help for the Current version is not allowed. Since the official release announcement is just around the corner:

Add ssid information to ifconfig_wlan0:

ifconfig_wlan0="ssid "my hidden ssid" mode 11g channel 1 WPA SYNDHCP"

docs.freebsd.org

Chapter 34. Advanced Networking

Advanced networking in FreeBSD: basics of gateways and routes, CARP, how to configure multiple VLANs on FreeBSD, etc
docs.freebsd.org docs.freebsd.org
 
CuatroTorres said:
Help for the Current version is not allowed. Since the official release announcement is just around the corner:
Click to expand...
Technically you are correct. Hard to argue with that.

If only setting up WiFI on FreeBSD was as straight forward as reading up handbook. :). I tried pretty much everything I could think of, setting up things manually too. Also tried to activate the create/activate the profile within wpa_cli itself.

Code: 
wlan0: flags=8843<UP,BROADCAST,RUNNING,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST> metric 0 mtu 1500
    options=0
    ether c4:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx
    groups: wlan
    ssid "my hidden ssid" channel 1 (2412 MHz 11g)
    regdomain FCC country US authmode WPA1+WPA2/802.11i privacy MIXED
    deftxkey UNDEF txpower 30 bmiss 7 scanvalid 60 protmode CTS wme
    roaming MANUAL
    parent interface: iwlwifi0
    media: IEEE 802.11 Wireless Ethernet autoselect (autoselect)
    status: no carrier
    nd6 options=29<PERFORMNUD,IFDISABLED,AUTO_LINKLOCAL>
The ifconfig wlan0 scan always detects the BSSID of my AP. It just doesn't connect. Again, if I don't hide SSID I can connect.

Example of configuring this manually:
Code: 
# wpa_cli -iwlan0 add_network
1
# wpa_cli -iwlan0 set_network 1 ssid '"my hidden ssid"'
OK
# wpa_cli -iwlan0 set_network 1 key_mgmt WPA-PSK
OK
#
# wpa_cli -iwlan0 set_network 1 psk '"some shared secret stuff"'
OK
# wpa_cli -iwlan0 set_network 1 pairwise CCMP
OK
# wpa_cli -iwlan0 set_network 1 group CCMP
OK
# wpa_cli -iwlan0 set_network 1 proto WPA
OK
# wpa_cli -iwlan0 enable_network 1
OK
#
And of course I'm still left with no connection.

I'm not showing examples of doing this also in rc.conf as you mentioned nor as I did manually within ifconfig command itself (in combination with wpa_cli).

After many hours spent googling around I noticed other Linux folks around 2020 had the same issue. I really don't want to dive into contrib/wpa/, hopefully there's just something I can do beside broadcasting my SSID.
 
There are recent threads related to issues connecting with a hidden ssid, as far as I can remember.
Does "wpa_cli -i<interface> enable_network" request a DHCP renewal or static IP?
 
Last edited:
I was so focused on this issue that it didn't cross my mind to test the speed/performance with the SSID broadcast enabled. It was barely usable, many times transfers stalled or got to a sorry speeds.


I felt disturbance in force when I activated my FreeBSD (14.0) zfs pool on Linux (ubuntu server 23.10).
For now I'll choose path of least resistance.
 
Not sure, if this qualifies as necro bumping... I too had some issues with that chip on my frame.work. What usually did make it work for me (before I switched it out for an iwm based series chip) is to use devctl reset iwl0 to reset the device.

Maybe this of use to someone still attempting to make it work.
 
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